Midwest

Lots of facility choices and a welcoming attitude are the hallmarks of the Midwest region when it comes to faith-based meetings.

By Marc Bosclair

Most faith-based meeting planners, unlike their counterparts in the corporate world, take a nuts-and-bolts approach to scouting out meeting spots. Their list of requirements tends to run short and to the point, keyed by value, accessibility, and enough pre/post meeting activities for family fun. With that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that the Midwest proves a natural fit for religious conferences. One needn’t look far to find the right meeting site—e.g., Iowa’s Amana Colonies, the Dells in Wisconsin, or Branson, Missouri’s entertainment capital—from among an array of excellent location options. 

One of the operative words among Midwest destinations: choice, be it for a hotel, convention center or spiritual gathering place. And hospitality, a trait that America’s Heartland is renowned for, plays its own, important role. “That warm, open and hospitable attitude has truly been a hallmark of this region and our community in particular,” says Melanie Platt Gibson, director of marketing for the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau. “Midwesterners know hospitality—they embrace their attendees and provide them with a great experience that says ‘you’re always welcome here.’ And if mom or dad is traveling for a convention, and want to bring along the family, they just add a day on to their trip and enjoy some vacation time, which explains why we’re national destination as well.” 

Meeting the sites done right

Of course, even the most hospitable destinations won’t attract loyal group business without first supplying the basics, starting with flexible, affordable meeting and sleeping space.  From that practical but all-important standpoint, the Midwest offers plenty of variety in the size and design of its hotels and conference facilities, not to mention in the location and availability of those venues.

In the Wisconsin Dells, for example, the Chula Vista Resort has finished up a $200 million renovation and expansion that includes the new Wisconsin Dells Center, the kind of conference facility that more and more groups hope to find in resort areas. As a result, groups visiting the state’s popular vacation getaway spot can now do so for pleasure and work, with some 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting space (including two ballrooms) and a new, 200,000-square-foot Exposition and Sports Center available for their use. 

It’s also worth noting that despite this past summer’s flooding due to the breach of Lake Delton, most of the Dells’ resorts were only minimally affected and remained open and operating, according to Platt Gibson. “We’re currently in the reconstructive process and I’m pleased to report that by late spring 2009 the lake will back, more pristine than ever,” she says.

Location also equates to convenience is many Midwestern destinations. “We’ve hosted large religious groups that require arenas because our downtown has several major venues that can accommodate them, all within a few blocks of each other,” says Melissa Magestro, convention sales manager for VISIT Milwaukee.

The city’s convention center complex is anchored by the Midwest Airlines Center, a downtown landmark known for its stylish architecture and smart floor plan (three levels, 28 meeting rooms, 188,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space), and which connects by skywalk to some 1,500 guestrooms at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee and Hilton Milwaukee City Center. The adjacent Milwaukee Theatre, which recently completed a $42 million renovation, houses a 4,100-seat theater, meeting rooms and banquet halls. Also nearby, the U.S. Cellular Arena features 24,000 square feet of flexible space for trade shows and banquets.

That combination concept, where several venues are grouped within walking distance of each other and hotels, works nicely elsewhere around the Midwest. Springfield, Missouri’s Expo Center, on its own a first-rate facility with standout stats (seven meeting rooms, 1112,000 square feet of contiguous space), also sits across the street from University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center and another 39,000 square feet of flexible space.

Meanwhile, John Q. Hammons plans to add even more functionality to the picture, breaking ground in 2010 on a new four-star, European property to be built adjacent to the Expo Center. And across town this fall, Missouri State University’s Springfield campus unveils even more flexible space with its new, 11,000-seat JHQ Arena. 

Versatile, creative ideas

Midwesterners also understand convenience and adaptability, especially when it comes to the weather. In the downtown districts of many cities, it’s hard not to notice the network of skyways and covered passages that connect buildings to one another. “We’re safe, affordable, have our own airport, and our downtown is covered by four miles of climate controlled skywalks,” says Margie Marble, director of sales and marketing for the Greater Des Moines CVB.

In fact, Iowa’s capital sports the largest such skywalk system per capita in the world, providing attendees with protection against both winter chill and summer heat.  

Groups convening in Minnesota’s Capital District may choose from a multitude of versatile venues. The Minneapolis Convention Center, the area’s largest purpose-built meeting center, features 480,000 square feet of exhibit space, 87 meeting rooms, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom and a 3,400 fixed-seat auditorium. The Republican Party’s recent convention in the Twin Cities gave the planning world an up-close view of Saint Paul and its leading meetings spots as well, notably the Saint Paul RiverCentre (15 meeting rooms, 68,000 square feet of exhibit space) and the 18,000-seat Xcel Energy Center. 

Need an urban environment with plenty of guestrooms at its core? Again, count on the Midwest to deliver. 

St. Louis, for example, which currently offers 7,600 guestrooms within a mile of the America’s Center, has a slew of new and recently renovated properties on the books, including the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, Renaissance Grand and Renaissance Suites, Sheraton City Center, Drury Plaza Hotel, and Hilton St. Louis Downtown. The $550 million Lumière Place entertainment complex has opened just east of America’s Center with a pair of properties—a 200-room Four Seasons Hotel and HoteLumière, an all-suites property. And the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront, formerly the Adam’s Mark Hotel, has finished sprucing itself up to the tune of about $63 million.     

And then there’s the whole element of (pleasant) surprise and exceeding expectations. To wit, most attendees associate Branson with the entertainment world, as Missouri’s marquee music destination has earned rave reviews for everything from jazz and gospel to comedy and dinner theater. Yet Branson is rapidly burnishing its meetings credentials as well, via the new Branson Convention Center (226,000 square feet of flexible space) and the new 293-room Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel.
 
The new $155 million Branson Regional Airport is also set to debut in the spring of 2009, while John Q. Hammons has a 180-200 room European style property (with meeting space) on the books for the area’s future as well.  

Meetings are a family affair

There’s also a philosophy about Midwest meetings that allows work and play to coexist productively. The basic concept: please, bring along the family, as the region is filled with so many interesting activities and attractions it would be a shame not to take advantage of them.

Topping the list are amusement parks, especially those where “wetter is better.” The Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin’s Dells provides an example of why these aquatic-themed complexes work well for faith-based attendees, with over 200,000 square feet of nautical adventure, including the multi-level, climate controlled Lost Rios Waterpark, home of the 268-foot-long (really) Cyclone, the world’s fastest water-coaster.  Kalahari Resorts, also set in the Dells, retains its own faith-based meetings specialist to help arrange retreats and group events. The resort also features 100,000 square feet of flexible space, ranging from an executive board room to the 17,000-square-foo. ballrooms, and cutting-edge nautical thrill rides at both its indoor and outside parks. 

Winter is a season much celebrated in Minnesota, and the Roseville Skating Center brings together several ways to do so. For fun and team-building games, there’s a 2,000-seat, indoor ice arena, North America’s largest continuous sheet of refrigerated ice. Outside, the 110,000-square.-foot OVAL provides frozen fun (including a 400-meter speed skating track) from November to March. The center also features a trio of rooms for post-skating meetings and banquets for up to 300 people. 

Joplin, Missouri’s 60-acre, 64,000-square-foot Bridge Complex, in equal parts an attraction and ministry, also comprises a trio of cool individual venues rolled into one easy locale. The Foundry hosts live music as well as group activities, proving especially good for luncheons and work-related attendee events. Auto Ramp Park features a lively skate park and pro shop (with rentable equipment) that’s ideal for rallies and youth camps. The Bridge Center includes a 40-foot climbing wall basketball cage and Internet-ready café with a gaming arcade and private conference room. 

Volcano Falls Adventure Park, just outside Rockford, Illinois, takes two retro staples of every kid’s summer vacation—go-carts and miniature golf—and jazzes them up for kids of all ages. Besides the three race tracks and a pair of golf courses, Volcano Falls also raises fun havoc with laser tag, arcade games and batting and soccer cages. 

Like playing golf but don’t have the time (or money) to spend an entire day on the links? Plan an outing at Lisle’s River Bend Golf Club, rated one of the top three nine-hole courses in all of Illinois. The links-style layout weaves around wetlands and a series of water holes, with the View Restaurant available for post-play awards and a relaxing meal. 
          
Hidden gems

The Midwest is also a treasure trove of unusual museums, restaurants, and other unique attractions. These sometimes one-of-a-kind places can leave attendees with fun photo ops, endless water-cooler tales and a good feeling about having participated in their meeting. 

Joplin, Missouri, rocks—literally, as the town began as a boomtown for the mining industry. The Everett J. Ritchie Tri-State Mineral Museum, based in a reproduced mine shaft, recounts the city wild ore lore (lead and zinc ruled) through exhibits, models, maps and historic photos. For a broader Joplin perspective head next door to the Dorothea B. Hoover Historical Museum for its history timeline and cool displays on Route 66 and Bonnie & Clyde.

Kielbasa, accordions, and dancing diners take center stage Nye’s Polonaise restaurant, a Minneapolis legend that combines stick-to-the-ribs Polish cuisine, a sing-along piano bar, polka room, and private dining areas into a rousing night to remember. 

Cyclists of the 4-stroke engine variety should enjoy a trip down memory lane at St. Louis’ Moto Museum. The newly renovated gallery features 100 rare and vintage motorcycles collected from around the world, including a 1931 Peugeot, 1956 triumph, and a classic 1929 Belgian Sarolea 24 T 500. With some advance planning, the Moto Museum is also available for private group events, where the theme-party potential seems almost endless.  

The Battle Creek Riding Club offers trips of a four-legged variety, with two outdoor sand rings; an 80-foot by 200-foot indoor arena with a heated viewing area; a 25-acre cross-country course; and miles of groomed trails with jumps. Plan ahead to arrange guided trail rides or private parties.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, set on 385 acres in the northern Chicago suburb of Glencoe, offers groups a pastoral escape amid some of the country’s prettiest landscape architecture and horticultural displays—23 spectacular gardens in all.

 The lush, rambling estate, punctuated by streams, waterfalls and ponds, also proves ideal for a variety of group get-togethers, with eight indoor function rooms and more than a half-dozen exterior venues enhanced by natural surroundings.

Even after 130 years, Iowa’s State Fair, held annually in Des Moines, remains America’s premier agricultural exposition, an event that inspired a novel, a Broadway musical, and no less than three movies. The boar hogs, beer tent, and butter sculpture are must-sees, as are the food pavilion shows (think: edible Spam, not the e-mail kind). And don’t miss one of the signature attractions: the 20-acre farm machinery exhibit.

This story was originally published in the October 2008 issue of Rejuvenate magazine.